Ten Of My Favorite Fires In Gaming…

I'm not known for posting Top Ten list blogs even though I'm
a big fan of them. I've even documented this in a blog titled, Top Ten Reasons
I Like / Dislike Video Game List Blogs (find it here
if you want). But every now and then I'll swing for the fences and try my hand
at one (I'm already having my doubts). You might've noticed I didn't say these
were my "top" ten - just ten of my favorites. There might be better examples I'm
forgetting about (which is one of the reasons I mention in the above blog for not
liking Top Ten blogs). Oh...and why fire? I can't really say, but maybe it's because
Seattle has been having a bit of a heat wave lately? Maybe. Anyway, let's get
on with it.

Ten of my favorite fires - in no certain order of favoritism
or ranking.

1. Minecraft

Fire is important in Minecraft. It's also destructive (and
deadly). You can use fire to cook your food; as a light source (torches); to
smelt ore into a usable form (iron ore to iron ingots, for example); or simply
for cosmetic appearances (adding a fireplace to your little cabin in the
woods). Fire can also burn you (if you fall in lava, you will catch on fire) or
it can burn your house down (if you do make a fireplace for that log cabin in
the woods, my recommendation is to not put any wood too close to it. Like, um...stairs
for example).

2. Far Cry 2

All of the Far Cry games are known for their large, open
maps filled with different terrains including beautiful beaches, lush rain
forests and grassy plains...but what really made Far Cry 2 spectacular was how
you could (intentionally or inadvertently) catch things on fire - and it would
burn and spread. I recall a particular incident where I had a gun fight with a
few baddies right outside the shack they were occupying. I parked my (stolen)
truck outside their shack, engaged in hostile negotiations with them, and eliminated
them. I noticed the grass was burning from a grenade I had used, but thought it
would burn itself out...so I went inside their shack to loot their property.
Well, they had a comfy bed and I hadn't slept in a while... So I set the clock
for a few hours and took a nap. When I woke up and went outside, apparently the
fire that was burning did indeed eventually burn out on its own...but not before
it burnt my vehicle up in the process. Man, I had to walk quite a distance
before I found another one to steal.

3. Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider (yes, the newest one) has fire arrows and napalm
arrows, but the most memorable fire moments are the scenes where you're
completely surrounded by fire - whether it's the camp where the bad guys are
hiding out or later in the game when you're in a building that is completely engulfed
in flames. The effects are brilliant (pun intended). If you've played the game,
I'm sure you remember a scene or two involving fire. And if you don't or you
haven't played the game...well, you should. It's amazing.

4. Bioshock

Fire exists in various forms and places throughout the
Bioshock series, but the one that captivates me the most is in the first
episode - the Incinerate plasmid.

The targeted enemy or
object is immediately engulfed in flames, causing fire damage over time until
the enemy is dead or the flames die out. It is effective against all enemies,
except for those that are resistant or immune to fire attacks. Objects located
in the environment may also be ignited; propane tanks and similar items can
even be exploded. Incinerate! has an area of effect, so enemies and objects
closely gathered near or in contact with the ignited target will be set aflame
as well. Enemies can negate the effects by running in water, and enemies and
objects in water will not be affected. Incinerate! also melts ice, which is
necessary for traveling to some areas.

Who doesn't love slinging fireballs from the palm of your hands?
Oh, if only this was a real thing.

5. Uncharted 3

The Uncharted 3 fire scene I'm pretty fond of just might be
one of my favorite fire scenes. Don't ask me why it's so low on the list then.
I already told you I don't like these lists. It reminds me a little bit of the
Tomb Raider scene. You are in a building that is on fire. And you're trapped.
And you're fighting bad guys. And it's amazing. Watch, and tell me it isn't...

6. Dante's Inferno

A lot of people didn't like this game - they called it a God
of War knock off. Rightfully so, it is a God of War knock off. I played it and
kind of liked it. Well, it's called Inferno for a reason. It mostly takes place
in hell. So, yeah...lots of fire.

7. God of War

Oh, speaking of God of War knock offs, the real God of War
is full of fire too. FULL of fire. It's hard to pick a single favorite fire
moment in God of War, but I have to admit I've always been fond of the fire
steeds scene.

"As the steeds pulled
Kratos away from the grip of Morpheus, they crossed into the Underworld. But in
the land of the dead, they could go no further, for these beings of light were
not welcome in Hades."-Gaia.

8. X-Com

I'm talking old school X-Com - not sure if the new one does
this or not. Long before you could catch the grass on fire in Far Cry 2, you
could catch the grass on fire in X-Com. You could also catch houses on fire...and
if you weren't (or were) careful, you could catch gas pumps on fire. That usually
made an even bigger fire. I could really wreck a town responding to an alien
invasion call. And loved every minute of it.

9. Call of Duty Modern Warfare

Man, that nuclear detonation in MW still gets me. Now that's a fire.

10. Worms Battleground

I love Worms. I've played almost all of them, but most
recently, I've been playing Worms Battleground. The weapon selection is so
creative and I just love the ones that are air-dropped on your intended target.
And one of them is a napalm strike. I don't know why, but it's one of my
favorites. It's not all that powerful, but there is just something about
landing a perfect napalm strike on an unsuspecting worm, who continues to burn
until he removes himself / herself from the flames (or dies). Are you thinking
what I'm thinking? I think you are.

Okay, so we're at the end of the list and surely by now (if you've
made it this far) you're probably thinking...what about (insert name here)...like
Mario. Mario throws fireballs. That's pretty cool. Ah, now you see why I don't
like these lists. Read the other blog...